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S.J.R. 16 Enrolled

             1     

JOINT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING NUCLEAR
             2      POWER
             3      2009 GENERAL SESSION
             4      STATE OF UTAH
             5      Chief Sponsor: David P. Hinkins
             6      House Sponsor: Christine F. Watkins
             7      Cosponsors:
             8      Gregory S. Bell
             9      Curtis S. Bramble
             10      D. Chris Buttars
             11      Allen M. Christensen
             12      Margaret DaytonJon J. Greiner
Scott K. Jenkins
Sheldon L. Killpack
Peter C. Knudson
Daniel R. Liljenquist
Mark B. MadsenRalph Okerlund
Howard A. Stephenson
Dennis E. Stowell
Stephen H. Urquhart
Michael G. Waddoups              13     
             14      LONG TITLE
             15      General Description:
             16          This joint resolution of the Legislature expresses support for new nuclear power
             17      development in Utah.
             18      Highlighted Provisions:
             19          This resolution:
             20          .    encourages that new nuclear power development be pursued in Utah due to its
             21      beneficial impact on the economy, fuel diversification, and the environment, and its
             22      impressive operational safety and security record;
             23          .    declares that nuclear power has been shown to be a viable cost effective option, that
             24      current rate payer protection laws and regulations are sufficient, and that no new
             25      legislation or special action is needed for the Public Service Commission to
             26      recognize nuclear power as a prudent investment;
             27          .    declares that no appropriations for special committees or programs are needed to
             28      determine whether nuclear power can be built in Utah;
             29          .    encourages all investor-owned and municipally owned utilities and power
             30      marketers and traders to consider participating in a nuclear power project in Utah;

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             31      and
             32          .    recognizes commercial nuclear power plants as a market-based, commercially
             33      competitive enterprise.
             34      Special Clauses:
             35          None
             36     
             37      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             38          WHEREAS, Utah and the surrounding western states have experienced increased new
             39      electricity demands and have forecasted continued increases over the next several decades;
             40          WHEREAS, Utah requires affordable and abundant energy for homes and businesses
             41      to maintain and grow its economy;
             42          WHEREAS, Utah and the surrounding areas will likely suffer significant financial
             43      difficulties without new reliable and affordable electric generating resources being built,
             44      adding to and prolonging the depressed economy;
             45          WHEREAS, Utah enjoys and continues to rely on cost effective coal fired power plants
             46      for 85% of its electric generation;
             47          WHEREAS, Utah's ability to build any new significant coal fired power plants is
             48      limited;
             49          WHEREAS, new emission controls, carbon capture technology, carbon sequestration,
             50      and advance coal combustion technologies should be encouraged, but are not projected to be
             51      commercially feasible and cost effective for at least 25 years;
             52          WHEREAS, new natural gas electric generation could increase the volatility of retail
             53      electric prices and retail natural gas prices;
             54          WHEREAS, hydro power resources are constrained and not expected to expand in
             55      capacity;
             56          WHEREAS, nationwide nuclear power provides low cost, long term, stable retail and
             57      wholesale pricing for customers;
             58          WHEREAS, the United States Congress and the United States Nuclear Regulatory

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             59      Commission worked together to improve the old process for licensing new nuclear power
             60      plants;
             61          WHEREAS, the new nuclear power plant licensing process presently includes a "one
             62      step" Combined Operating License (COL) procedure, which combines construction and
             63      operating license applications and reviews into a single process;
             64          WHEREAS, the new licensing process is more efficient, predictable, and reliable;
             65          WHEREAS, three Early Site Permits for new nuclear plants, one of the new licensing
             66      processes now in place, have been issued with little or no delays from adjudication;
             67          WHEREAS, the estimated time frame to complete a new nuclear COL is five years;
             68          WHEREAS, the development of nuclear power plants will provide significant
             69      economic benefits to the local, regional, and state populations in the form of many high paying
             70      jobs and additional tax revenues;
             71          WHEREAS, the construction of a new nuclear facility would inject billion of dollars
             72      into Utah's economy in the form of 3,500 construction jobs during a two unit construction
             73      period spanning up to seven years;
             74          WHEREAS, one proposed site in Utah would contribute over $2 million in 2009 to the
             75      State Institutional Trust Lands Fund;
             76          WHEREAS, operations of two new generation units would provide approximately 800
             77      jobs for highly skilled workers over the plant's 60 year projected lifetime;
             78          WHEREAS, the needed regulatory and legal framework to deploy safe, secure, and
             79      cost competitive nuclear power in Utah is in place;
             80          WHEREAS, Utah already has a nuclear reactor at the University of Utah;
             81          WHEREAS, the University of Utah Training Research and Isotope Production, General
             82      Atomics research reactor in Salt Lake City has been operating safely since 1975;
             83          WHEREAS, the United States' nuclear industry has accumulated almost 3,400 reactor
             84      years of operation since the first plant started up in 1957 without serious injury or death to a
             85      single member of the public;
             86          WHEREAS, the current practice of storing spent fuel in wet or dry storage containers

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             87      at a nuclear power plant has been proven safe since commercial nuclear power began in 1957;
             88          WHEREAS, 95% of the energy from a nuclear reactor's spent fuel has significant value
             89      and can be reprocessed or recycled for use as fuel in the future when this option is
             90      commercialized in the United States;
             91          WHEREAS, spent fuel from a nuclear reactor is valuable;
             92          WHEREAS, France, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany currently
             93      recycle or reprocess spent fuel successfully; and
             94          WHEREAS, there is no scientific or safety rationale requiring the near term movement
             95      of spent fuel from the power plants where it is generated, and fuel can be safely and securely
             96      stored on site for up to 100 years without environmental impacts:
             97          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
             98      urges that new nuclear power development be pursued within the boundaries of the state.
             99          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges that commercial
             100      development of new nuclear power be pursued in the state due to its beneficial impact on the
             101      economy, fuel diversification, and the environment, and its impressive operational safety and
             102      security record, in particular the fact that no member of the public has been seriously injured
             103      by operation of the 104 nuclear power plants currently operating in the United States.
             104          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature declares that nuclear power has
             105      been shown to be a viable cost effective option, that current rate payer protection laws and
             106      regulations are sufficient, and that no new legislation or special action is needed for the Public
             107      Service Commission to recognize nuclear power as a prudent investment.
             108          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature recognizes that no appropriations
             109      are needed for special committees or programs to determine whether a nuclear power plant can
             110      be built in Utah because the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission will review and
             111      adjudicate the licensing, as needed, and nuclear developers will pay for those costs.
             112          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages investor-owned and
             113      municipally owned utilities and power marketers and traders to consider participating in a
             114      nuclear power project in Utah.

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             115          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature recognizes commercial nuclear
             116      power plants as market-based, commercially competitive enterprises due to their safety and
             117      security record, the science and performance data, and the economic performance of the
             118      present power plants.
             119          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the President of
             120      the United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United
             121      States House of Representatives, the United States Secretary of Energy, Governor Huntsman,
             122      and to the members of Utah's congressional delegation.

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